Alcohol and the Social Brain: an Alcohol-Administration Hyperscanning Study

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Total Enrollment

240 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-04-05

Study Completion Date

2028-06-01

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

In this study, the investigators aim to capture inter- and intra-brain mechanisms underlying alcohol reward in novel social context.

Related Clinical Trials

Explore similar clinical trials based on study characteristics and research focus.

Alcohol and the Social Brain: An Alcohol-Administration Hyperscanning Study Employing a Within-Subject Design

NCT07125534

Alcohol Drinking Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) Alcohol Intoxication +3 more

RECRUITING NA

Understanding Alcohol Reward in Social Context

NCT03449095

Alcohol Drinking Alcohol Use Disorder Alcohol Intoxication +3 more

COMPLETED NA

Social Facilitation of Alcohol Effects and Alcohol Misuse in Young Adults

NCT06627803

Alcohol Consumption Alcohol Abuse/Dependence

RECRUITING NA

Chicago Social Drinking Project

NCT00961792

Alcoholism

ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING NA

Social Cognition and Executive Functions in Alcohol Use Disorders - Transverse Study

NCT04647422

Alcohol Use Disorder

COMPLETED NA

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Objective: Alcohol's ability to boost mood in the face of stress is perhaps its most notoriously addictive property, long held by researchers to be of critical importance for understanding alcohol use disorder (AUD) etiology. Yet, while most real-world alcohol consumption occurs in social settings, in the context of laboratory studies, participants have almost always consumed alcohol alone. The discrepancy between real-world and laboratory contexts emerges as particularly stark in the neuroimaging literature, where no alcohol-administration study to date has incorporated in-vivo social context. In this first alcohol-administration study to leverage EEG hyperscanning methods, the investigators aim to capture inter- and intra-brain mechanisms underlying alcohol reward in novel social context.

Specifically, this study aims to characterize the mechanisms driving social reward from alcohol in the context of stress and elucidate the role of social processes and novel social context in driving problem drinking.

Study Population: Participants will consist of 240 regular drinkers, aged 21-30, with no reported history of severe alcohol use disorder.

Design: In the laboratory arm of the study, individuals will be randomly assigned to consume either a moderate dose of alcohol or a control beverage in stranger dyads. Participants will engage in both structured and unstructured tasks aimed at assessing social engagement and threat sensitivity. EEG and ERP data will be collected from both participants simultaneously. In the ambulatory study arm, participants will wear transdermal sensors to assess BAC and will further provide information about their mood and their social contexts in response to random prompts.

Outcome Measures: Primary outcome measures include EEG measures of inter-brain entrainment as well as ERP metrics derived from task contexts (both players and observers). Additional outcomes include measures of positive mood, negative mood, and social bonding. Finally, drinking behaviors will be assessed via transdermal ambulatory alcohol sensors and longitudinal self-reports of drinking.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Alcohol Drinking Alcohol Use Disorder Alcohol Intoxication Alcohol; Harmful Use Alcoholism Binge Drinking

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Observational Model Type

OTHER

Study Time Perspective

OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* Between the ages of 21 and 30
* Regularly consumes alcohol

Exclusion Criteria

* History of adverse reaction to the amount of beverage employed in the study
* Have a history of major problems associated with alcohol
* Take medications that could adversely interact with alcohol
* Have medical conditions that contraindicate alcohol administration
* Individuals with a history of skull fractures or who indicate discomfort with EEG procedures used
* Female participant is pregnant or trying to become pregnant

Minimum Eligible Age

21 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

30 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes